This is a general food safety question, but I'll make it specific. I made WinnieAbs Smokey Minestrone soup a couple days ago and am now enjoying the leftovers. If I reheat some soup the next day and don't eat it all, is it safe to put back in the frig to reheat again later? I'm allowing it come back to room temp before putting back in the frig, but then immediately putting it in the frig.

ChezSuzanne, I investigated this when we had the chicken broth contest--I had way more than I could use and wasn't sure how to store it. According to the USDA, "Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 °F, some doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. Some types will produce toxins that are not destroyed by cooking. Hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator or it can be rapidly chilled in an ice or cold water bath before refrigerating. A large pot of food like soup or stew should be divided into small portions and put in shallow containers before being refrigerated. "

The rule according to most states health department's restaurant regs. Is cool to below 40 degrees asap. Which means get it into a shallow pan so it isn't more than 2 inches thick/deep and put it in the fridge or cool in an ice bath then refrigerate. Most bacteria grows at a really fast rate between 4o and 140 degrees and it takes sitting between these temps for four hours to reach critical mass, meaning it could make you sick. They also say not to reheat more than three times. In other words only reheat the portion you want to serve don't reheat the whole thing and then refrigerate it again. Common sense goes a long way here but if in doubt throw it out as the saying goes.

Just a note on mayo. Lemon juice and vinegar will limit the growth of bacteria and so will the oil in the quantity needed to make mayo. So unless you get a hold of a really toxic egg to begin with you will be OK making mayo. I cook my yolks by the way like you would in a hollandaise. I find it holds better and isn't as likely to break. I think cooking the eggs in this fashion for amyo is more of a Belgian way of going about making mayonnaise.